


Darkpaw's Hunt

by LeafingAround



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: BloodClan (Warriors), Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, Other, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), SkyClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), Tribe of Rushing Water (Warriors), WarriorClan(Warriors), WindClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28198995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeafingAround/pseuds/LeafingAround
Summary: The five clans have never lead a peaceful life at the lake territory. Tension rises between the clans when two medicine cats are poisoned and the culprit is nowhere to be found. With Thunderclan and Windclan threatening war on Shadowclan and Skyclan, will Darkpaw and Birchlight be able to catch the cat responsible and possibly stop the clans from destroying each other? Or will they be the next cats to die.





	1. Allegiances

**Shadowclan**  
Leader  
Cardialstar- fat rust colored tom with bright green eyes  
Deputy  
Coyotehowl- brown-gray she-cat with scars covering her face and a purple collar studded with cat teeth  
Medicine Cats  
Littlestep- very small, thin, brown tabby tom with bright blue eyes  
Birchlight- huge long furred brown and white tabby tom with mismatched green and blue eyes  
Warriors  
Dragtear- strong she-cat with mottled brown and white fur and bright green eyes  
Shadysky- cat with blue-golden shelled fur and almond-shaped yellow eyes  
Grasstoe- gray tabby cat with green eyes  
Mistpuddle- large cat with silken, lilac tipped fur, freckles, and light blue eyes  
Lavendarpond- large tom with thick tortoiseshell fur and narrow blue eyes  
Firestalk- small cat with feathery, fawn ticked tabby fur and lilac-tinted eyes  
Turtlepelt- light brown tom with large dark gray spots on his back and green eyes  
Skull- skinny black long furred she-cat with white patches and blue eyes,  
Emberstrike- long-legged she-cat with wiry, pale ginger marbled fur and peach colored eyes  
(Apprentice: Toy-skinny orange cat with blue eyes)  
Sootstripe- gray tabby cat with yellow eyes  
(Apprentice: Darkpaw- small black and blue-gray cat with green eyes)  
Palefeather- tall cream and white tabby she-cat with dark orange eyes  
Queens  
Sparrowpetal- small she-cat with fawn ticked tabby fur and lilac-tinted eyes.  
(mother to Snapkit- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and Jaggedkit- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes)  
Elders  
Goosejump- light brown tom with dark brown legs and tail and blue eyes  
Ashenwhisper- long legged light grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Skyclan**  
Leader  
Thistlestar- lithe she-cat with scarred, mottled blue fur and light blue eyes  
Deputy  
Shellspots- tall she-cat with coarse, seal bicolor point fur and bright blue eyes  
Mediator  
Honeydew- orange ticked tabby tom with gold eyes  
Medicine Cat  
Lightningscream- cat with fluffy black and white speckled fur and bright yellow eyes.  
Warriors  
Spiderbriar- short she-cat with matted, red ticked tabby fur and golden brown eyes  
Dusty- brown and black tabby she-cat with pale amber eyes  
Whitestream- abnormally small tom with downy, cinnamon torbie patterned fur and aqua eyes  
Dustbreath- black cat with peach colored eyes  
Pebblewillow- tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes  
Elkcry- bony tom with scarred and dirty, fawn tipped fur and piercing blue eyes  
Barleywish- thin, cinnamon and white furred cat with silver eyes  
(Apprentice: Flypaw- skinny she-cat with light grey and white fur and heather colored eyes)  
Shelltail- small she-cat with coarse, cinnamon and white fur and yellow eyes  
Aldersky- small tom with bushy, solid black fur and russet-colored eyes  
Chirpleaper- broad-shouldered cat with downy, creamy tabby fur, and orange eyes  
Spotthorn- abnormally small cat with healthy, solid black fur and marbled (blue and gold) eyes  
Ladybug- round brown tabby she-cat with blue-green eyes  
(Apprentice: Halfpaw- long furred cat with brown, gray and white patches and mismatched yellow and green eyes)  
Missy- sleek gray she-cat with yellow eyes  
Queens  
Fuzzynight- she-cat with mottled dark grey fur and light blue eyes  
Elders  
Shadowpounce- large tom with matted, tortoiseshell fur and aqua eyes  
Rowanripple- bony cat with light grey and white fur and aqua eyes  
Foxnose - large she-cat with long golden shell point fur and heather colored eyes

 **Thunderclan**  
Leader  
Skunkstar- large broad shouldered she-cat with windswept black fur, a white stripe running along her back and tail and small yellow eyes.  
Deputy  
Orangesplotch- round tortishell she-cat with orange and gray patches and yellow eyes  
Medicine Cat  
Hailmuzzle- cream tom with matted fur, cut ears and green eyes  
(Apprentice: Snowpaw- large tom with dilute tortoiseshell fur and a torn out eye)  
Warriors  
Thistleshine- large cat with tangled, lilac tipped fur and light blue and yellow eyes  
(Apprentice: Rainpaw- cinnamon silver tabby she-cat with yellow eyes)  
Shimmerpetal- abnormally small cat with bushy, black tweed fur, a sliced ear, and topaz colored eyes  
Mossywing- skinny she-cat with grizzled, dark grey and white fur, white flecks, and brown eyes  
Cloverberry- small gray tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Oatsong- broad-shouldered tom with dark brown tabby fur, and almond-shaped blue eyes  
Palebreeze- tall she-cat with silken, lilac colored ticked tabby fur and amber eyes  
Briartuft- chubby she-cat cinnamon silver ticked tabby fur and heather colored eyes  
Applestalk- chubby she-cat with matted, grey tabby fur and russian topaz eyes  
Eaglesnout- tom with brown and white fur and a hooked snout  
Fallowhawk- she-cat with blue-golden shelled fur and blue eyes  
Oakclaw- huge brown tabby tom with green and blue eyes, former Shadowclan warrior  
(Apprentice: Heronpaw- white furred tom with blue eyes)  
Cranefire- chubby she-cat with curly, light grey tabby fur and soft grey eyes  
Redswoop- abnormally small cat with lilac colored tabby fur and narrow yellow eyes  
Queens  
Brindlesplash- skinny cat with cinnamon colored fur, long whiskers, and topaz colored eyes  
Needlesnarl- broad-shouldered tom with sepia bicolor point fur and narrow brown eyes  
(Kits: Duskkit tiny brown kit and Peakit)  
Elders  
Fawnspring- she-cat with cream ticked tabby fur and forest green eyes  
Lithethorn- tom with tortoiseshell fur and heather colored eyes

 **Windclan**  
Leader  
Quickstar- small she-cat with light brown fur and green eyes  
Deputy  
Daisybrook- small tom with light brown tabby fur and copper eyes  
(Apprentice: Fogpaw- large she-cat with black flecked cream fur and peach colored eyes)  
Medicine Cats  
Condorfeather- light gray tom with blue eyes  
Cloudwatcher- tall she-cat with tortoiseshell and white fur and green eyes  
Warriors  
Mistyburr- tom with blue-golden shelled fu and wide brown eyes  
Pebblestream- ginger tabby she-cat with long whiskers, and copper eyes  
Birdnibble- blue ticked tabby tom with clear grey eyes  
(Apprentice: Scarletpaw is a small she-cat with dirty, brown marbled fur and bright blue eyes)  
Brooksnow- muscular cat with black tweed fur and starry blue eyes  
Sablewind-cat with feathery, russet rosette-covered fur and crossed lilac eyes  
Lakerose is a bony tom with thick, red torbie patterned fur and aqua eyes  
(Apprentice: Woolpaw-ginger tabby tom with yellow eyes)  
Streammoon is a tall tom with grey tabby fur and bright blue eyes  
Queens  
Ratthicket- she-cat with red tabby fur and dark green eyes  
Elders  
Curlcloud- she-cat with black appaloosa fur and russet-colored eyes  
Meadowberry-small russet rosette-covered furred she-cat with silver eyes  
Swiftburr-short cat with brown fur and bright amber eyes  
Nightclaw-slender cat with flame point fur and bright green eyes

 **Riverclan**  
Leader  
Acornstar- reddish-brown cat with amber eyes  
Deputy  
Slushpuddle- gray she-cat  
Medicine Cats  
Splashwhisker- blue-gray furred she-cat with green eyes  
(Apprentice: Garpaw- tom with gray and brown fur and yellow eyes)  
Warriors  
Puddletuft- muscular cat with red ticked tabby fur and crossed, almond-shaped green eyes  
Jaysnow-tall she-cat with dark grey tabby fur and peach colored eyes  
Fernmask- black furred tom with orange eyes  
(Apprentice: Laurelpaw- tom withmink point fur and topaz colored eyes)  
Rippleshadow-scrawny she-cat with ruddy ticked tabby fur and dark green eyes  
Stonegaze- is a broad-shouldered she-cat with fawn tipped fur and topaz colored eyes  
Woolypurr- tom with lilac tipped fur, white paws, and heather colored eyes  
Brighteyes- she-cat with blind white eyes and white fur  
(Apprentice: Sorrelpaw- she-cat with tortoiseshell fur and blue and gold eyes)  
Pondface-bony cat with ruddy ticked tabby fur and dark blue eyes  
Waterdrop-calico she-cat with blue eyes  
Meadowspring-large russet rosette-covered fur and amber eyes  
Sleetstrike-light gray tom with straight stripes and gray eyes  
(Apprentice: Greypaw- scrawny she-cat with light grey tabby fur and hazel eyes)  
Snailtail- is a small cat with brown and gray fur  
Queens  
Poppycreek- large she-cat with bushy, blue-golden shelled fur and amber eyes  
Elders  
Cricketpond-tall she-cat with ginger flecked cream fur and dark green eyes  
Thicketclaw-short tom with tortie point fur and oval-shaped blue eyes  
Brackenwatcher- abnormally small tom with dilute tortoiseshell fur and yellow eyes

 **Cats outside the clans**  
Patches-huge she-cat with oddly patched fur  
Red-tom with red and black fur  
Hop- spiky orange furred she-cat  
Beetle- she-cat with brown tabby fur and blue-green eyes  
Gray- gray cat  
Doggy-huge black and white tom


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birchlight goes to the moonpool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this has been in the making for a few months and I'm so happy to begin writing this story. I'm not sure if this is conveyed through the chapter but the moonpool is a natural hot spring and thats why its described as being warmer than everything else.

Birchlight and Littlestep walked up the path to the moonpool. Birchlight lead the way, he impatiently walked faster, his fur caught snow as he made his way to the half moon gathering of medicine cats. The older cat behind him struggled to catch up.  
“Littlestep! We can’t be late!” He called out to the cat.  
“It’s ok.” Littlestep sighed. The moon shone bright overhead and the stars lit up their way. Birchlight reached the top of the hollow and turned around to look down at his mentor. He raised his tail, happy to reach his destination. Littlestep began running up the hill. He could hear the meows of the other medicine cats.  
“Shadowclan is here!” A cat yowled. Littlestep recognized it as Lightningscream, Skyclan’s medicine cat. As Littlestep carefully followed Birchlight’s pawprints, the moonpool became visible before him. The warmth of the steamy pond heated his frozen paws as he mingled with the other cats. Condorfeather and Cloudwatcher of Windclan happily chatted together. Hailmuzzle and Splashwhisker, Thunderclan and Riverclan’s medicine cats were in a heated discussion about prey.  
“You haven’t eaten until you’ve had carp! Its the best fish in the lake.” Splashwhisker laughed while splashing some water from the moonpool onto Hailmuzzle.  
“YOU SHOULDN’T MESS WITH THE MOONPOOL! ITS NOT RIVERCLAN’S HUNTING GROUNDS!” The thunderclan cat said angrily.  
“Water is water!” Splashwhisker replied lazily. “And you still need to drop by the lake shore for some good prey.”  
“Starclan blessed this water themselves, its our connection to them. Stop fishing in the moonpool.” The cream colored cat hissed. Hailmuzzle’s tail lashed as he gestured at Littlestep to sit down.  
“Garpaw back me up!” She playfully swatted the water, mimicking catching a fish. The Riverclan apprentice awkwardly glanced at his mentor.  
“I dunno, it's the moonpool.” He said quietly. “Shadowclan finally got here, can’t we just start already?”  
Garpaw stood up from his spot next to Cloudwatcher to sit on the far end of the moonpool away from the others. Littlestep and Birchlight took their places with the medicine cats. Splashwhisker smirked.  
“Ugh, this is why Starclan hasn’t spoken to us in three moons” Hailmuzzle said. The frustration panicked Cloudwatcher and Birchlight. They nervously looked at each other.  
“Must be the cold weather, maybe our warrior ancestors hate the blizzards just as much as us.” Condorfeather quietly spoken. He nervously groomed a patch of fur.  
“Starclan is gone because your clans have been allying with cats from the twolegplace.” Hailmuzzle said.  
“Based on that logic it could be Splashwhisker’s return that caused them to leave! OR Garpaw becoming an apprentice! The clans have always had friends on other territory” Lightningscream exclaimed.  
“Why is it always Skyclan and Shadowclan that are an issue to you. Maybe its your own clan’s fault we can’t share tongues with Starclan” Birchlight said.  
“Bickering at the moonpool like a couple of kits isn’t going to bring back starclan” Littlestep snapped. His short brown fur puffed up. His cloudy blue eyes glared daggers into the thunderclan cat. The cats around the moonpool became silent as Littlestep raised his voice. “We should focus on bringing the clans together during a time like this.”  
Garpaw cleared his throat. “Can we please try to get in contact with Starclan.”  
“Fine” Hailmuzzle snapped.  
“Well I’m happy to be back in Riverclan” Splashwhisker said sarcastically under her breath.  
The eight cats crouched down to the water and touched their noses to the pond.

Littlestep woke up and found himself in a dark void. He could sense something was wrong but couldn’t see anything. He turned around and saw Garpaw soaking wet and covered in mud. The Riverclan apprentice had blood on his mouth and had deep wounds on his sides and a long partially healed cut on his face. They were about ten tail lengths apart. The faint scent of thunderclan warriors seemed threatening but it was old. The cat had most likely passed through this odd territory days ago.  
“Garpaw? Are you alright?” Littlestep slowly walked to the cat, trying to find any sense of direction in the darkness. It was hard for him to see.  
“Littlestep! Please, help me. I can’t see anything. Where are we?” The gray apprentice cowered in fear. He looked around but didn’t focus his eyes on Littlestep.  
“Do you hear me? I’m three tail lengths in front of you. Can you tell where I am?” Littlestep stopped walking. He tapped his paws on the ground, hoping that the young cat would be able to use the sounds and vibrations to find where he is. Littlestep suddenly noticed there was no sound coming from his paws. It was similar to how starclan cats could drift over the stones in the rocky hollow. Except he wasn’t dead, not yet at least. Something else felt off, almost as if Garpaw knew something that he wasn’t telling Littlestep.  
“I… I think I can. Please don’t go. I can’t be alone again.” The tom ran forward and bumped into Littlestep. Garpaw leaned all of his weight onto him. Mud, blood and lake water seeped into the older cat’s fur. “I never got my warrior name, please”  
Littlestep’s eye’s widened. He nervously gulped.  
“Garjaw.” The name escaped his jaws as if Starclan themselves were willing him to speak it. Littlestep watched as the cat vanished, fading away.  
This wasn’t a message from starclan. It's just a bad dream. The shadowclan medicine cat groomed the mud out of his fur and continued walking along in the void.

Littlestep jolted awake and knocked into Condorfeather. The medicine cats looked at him with hope. Birchlight, Cloudwatcher and Lightningscream exchanged glances.  
“Did they speak to you?” Birchlight asked. His tail lashed back and fourth with anticipation.  
“No, it was a nightmare. Did anyone get a message tonight?” Littestep looked anxiously at the moonpool.  
Hailmuzzle stood up, “Its only moonhigh.” His voice sounded flat with disappointment.  
“You dont want to go home yet? Lets share news then!” Lightningscream said.  
Hailmuzzle and Condorfeather looked at each other.  
“Um… I’ll start! Skyclan has a new apprentice, Halfpaw. He’s been really getting good at tree climbing.” Lightningscream continued on. “The hunting has been good and we might even welcome some more daylight warriors.”  
“Despite the ice covering the lake, our warriors have caught plenty of fish to feed the clan. Garpaw’s littermate, Snailtail has become a warrior. A few cats have caught whitecough but they’ll be fine in a few sunrises.” Splashwhisker said. Garpaw stared intently at the moonpool.  
“Windclan is having trouble finding prey above ground but our warriors have been finding moles and other burrowing animals in the tunnels this leaf bare. We’ve also had to bring the elders den and nursery into the medicine cat den until the snow melts.” Cloudwatcher happily added. Her mentor, Condorfeather rubbed a flower stem in between his paws as she shared the new of the clan.  
“We will have a new apprentice in a few moonrises and the prey is running well. One of the cats from the twolegplace, Toy, still hasn’t had his warrior ceremony yet. But we’re hoping that giving him a new mentor will speed up his training. Coyotehowl has been a good deputy. Goosejump is happy he retired to the elder’s den right before this leaf fall ” Birchlight said.  
The cats stood up to disperse back to their clans.  
“Hailmuzzle! Say something!” LIghtningscream interrupted the silence.  
“Thunderclan is doing well. We’ve found some kittypets on our border, but they’ve been chased off. Orangesplotch is pregnant. I’m running low on catment, honey and poppyseeds though.” Hailmuzzel said. He had already begun walking away.


	3. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darkkit makes some friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case it wasn't conveyed that clearly, ShadowClan is nocturnal. Also this story will be updating once a month!

Darkkit woke up to the sound of owls hooting and crickets singing. It was dark outside, the tall pine trees blocking most of the fading sunlight from reaching her position in ShadowClan’s nursery. A she-cat slept with her two kittens in the nest next to her. The brambles surrounding her were strange, infact, this whole place was strange to her. The moss bedding she had been sleeping on was starting to get old, it was flattened out and wasn’t cushiony anymore. She peeked outside of the nursery looking for her parents. There she could see that most of the cats in the clan had already been awake for some time. Two large brown cats were happily chatting outside what her father had called the “medicine cat den”. She didn’t really know what a medicine cat was or why it needed a den. Nothing here was like her old home back in the twolegplaceplace. The cats spoke using strange words and there were so many of them. 

She nervously left the safety of the nursery and walked into the open space of the clearing. There were more cats she could see now. Her parents were sitting outside of the “warriors den” a cluster of brambles and thorns that sheltered the grown cats from the sky above. The cats were all tall, most of them had scars littering their pelts. They were nothing like the odd assortment of kittypets and other cats she would see walking around the thunderpaths. Darkkit slowly began walking to the warriors den to join her parents. She noticed an orange flash in the corner of her eyes. 

“Darkkit! You’re out of the nursery!” The small kitten spun around to face a small skinny orange cat. She stared at them, surprised. Their face seemed familiar but Darkkit couldn’t remember their name. 

“Uh… Hi!” She said, stumbling on her words. 

“Oh I guess you don’t remember me. I’m one of your cousin’s friends. I stopped by your parents' den with him a few moons ago! My name is Toy” 

“Toy... I thought only clan cats lived in the forest?” She was confused. All of the cats here had two words in their name, she even was given a two word name when she first got here. 

“I decided to live here. Its nice. The forest floor is softer than the thunderpaths and hardpaths back home. And the cats are nicer.” They tapped the dirt floor. “You’re six moons old right?”

“Yea” Darkkit said with enthusiasm. “I’m gonna be seven soon!” 

“Then Cardialstar will make you an apprentice in a few sunrises” Toy gestured to a bramble bush surrounded by low hanging branches. Darkkit could make out the faint silhouette of an orange cat in between the foliage. She guessed that this was the cat that Toy was talking about. “It’ll be fun. After your name change ceremony, your new mentor will take you on a tour of the territory.”

“What's an apprentice?” Darkkit was so confused. All of these new cats, new words, and she’d be given another name? This was too much at once for her!

“Oh it's what they call cats that are in training!”

“Training for what. What are we gonna learn?”

“How to hunt and fight. We get to catch our own food. We don’t need to take it from the twoleg’s trash.”

“Woah. But why do we need to fight then. If there's so much food what's there to fight?”

“I dunno. But Cardialstar and the older warriors say that sometimes we have to fight the other clans. There's four other clans. River clan lives on that side of the border” Toy pointed his paw to the right of them. “They eat  _ fish” _

“EWWW” Darkkit spat. “Who would want to eat fish!”

“I know! They’re so weird. And then there's skyclan on the other side of us. They’re always in the trees.” They pointed to the left. 

“What does SkyClan eat?”

“Squirrels, mice, normal prey. There's a new apprentice in SkyClan. He was apprenticed right before the last gathering.”

“Can I meet him?” Darkkit seemed more enthusiastic. 

“You gotta be an apprentice to go to gatherings.”

“But why can't we just go to SkyClan”

“It's supposed to be against the… uh… warrior code.”

“What does that mean”

“It’s clan rules, I think. We’re not allowed to visit cats in other clans without permission.”

“Well thats stupid” 

“I guess. But I don't want to break a rule. You’ll probably see him at the next gathering though. It's in a few sunrises!”

“I hope so! I wanna be an apprentice before then.”

“Yeah! Who do you think your mentor will be?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know the names of most of the cats here.” Darkkit looked around the clearing. Her parents were blocked by some ferns. She could see two gray cats, one looked old, the other had dark stripes. There were some other cats in the clearing, Darkkit could only recognize one of them, the ShadowClan deputy, Coyotehowl. The brown she-cat was talking to some other cats. 

“Ummm… You might get one of the older cats as a mentor cause you’re new to the clan and they know a lot. Maybe Dragtear will be your mentor, she’s really good at warrior stuff. But you might get Grasstoe or Lavendarpond. He doesn’t really let parents train their kits and your mother isn’t from ShadowClan so you wont get Skull or Turtlepelt as a mentor though.”

“What about that big brown and white cat? Can he be my mentor?”

“You want to be a medicine cat?” Toy looked surprised.

“I wanna hunt and fight!” Darkkit said. She playfully swatted the air in front of her. “Isn’t that what clan cats do?”

“The medicine cats don't fight. It's supposed to be against their special code. They use herbs to heal warriors and they can talk to dead cats.” 

“Dead cats? That's too scary. I don’t wanna be a medicine cat.” Darkkit looked in the direction of the brown cat. 

“Palefeather could be your mentor! Hmm… wait no she doesn’t really like cats from outside the clan. Maybe Sootstripe or Firestalk then!”

Darkkit wasn’t listening. She was watching her parents from a distance. They were talking to the cat that Toy had called Cardialstar. He had shiny reddish fur. The three cats looked happy, like there was some good news they had just received. 

“Darkkit?” Toy asked. 

“Oh, sorry I was um… thinking.”

“Your parents are talking to the leader! What if your ceremony is today.” Toy looked at her, excitement shone in their bright blue eyes. Darkkit looked over to the three cats then back at them. “Go see what they’re saying!”

Darkkit ran across the clearing. The short grass in the camp tickled her paws. “Mom!”

Skull turned to face her daughter, she was smiling. “Darkkit! Guess what!”

Darkkit looked up at her mother. Skull never looked this happy before. “What”

“You're going to be an apprentice! It’s good you were talking to Toy, they’re the only other apprentice right now and you should be making friends.” 

“Your daughter is going to be a fine warrior by the time it's new-leaf” Cardialstar said. 

Turtlepelt seemed happy, “Your ceremony is going to be a little after the hunting patrol gets back.”

“TOY! TOY! Get over here now!” Darkkit excitedly screamed across the clearing. The cats sitting around all looked at her as her new friend ran over to her. 

“What happened?” they were confused. 

“I’m gonna be an apprentice! Today!” She squealed. 

“Wow!” They jumped up and down. The two young cats ran around the clearing. 

“Lets hope she has enough energy left for her ceremony” Cardialstar joked. 

“Oh she never runs out of energy” Turtlepelt said. 

  
  


Darkkit excitedly sat in the nursery. Jaggedkit and Snapkit were playing in the corner. She had told them earlier that she was going to be an apprentice but they didn’t seem to care too much. Turtlepelt sat by the nursery entrance, he was fixing his fur into place, a few loose tufts stuck up out of place. Skull was talking to Sparrowpetal, the other queen in the den. Darkkit quietly snuck to the nursery entrance. 

“Hey. It's not time to leave yet.” Turtlepelt gently said. He looked out into the camp. “The patrol just got back. You have a little bit of time left to relax.” 

Darkkit tried to peak her head outside of the den to see who was coming in. She could see the bramble and thorn barrier but couldn’t see the cats. 

“Just calm down.”

Darkpaw tried moving the nursery wall to see through the brambles. 

“You’re going to be outside in a heartbeat!”

Darkkit stopped, waited for a little and then continued her mission to leave the nursery. 

“Great StarClan! Stay in your nest!” Turtlepelt exclaimed. 

Darkkit slowly walked back into her nest. Skull and Sparrowpelt walked outside past Turtlepelt. Snapkit and Jaggedkit tried to follow her but the tom blocked them. 

“Let all cats who can catch their own prey gather beneath the tree branch!” Cardialstar yelled out. Darkkit, Snapkit and Jaggedkit rushed to the nursery entrance. Turtlepelt jumped in front of them and blocked the way out. He looked around to see what was happening. The clan had all come to see what their leader was about to say. 

“Darkkit come with me. You two, stay put”

Snapkit and Jaggedkit pouted. She ran out of the den and sat next to Toy. The orange cat was sitting with some other warriors. Cardialstar stood on top of a tree branch over the leader’s den. He looked at Darkkit. She stepped forward to the front of the group of cats. 

“Darkkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Darkpaw. Your mentor will be Sootstripe. I hope Sootstripe will pass down all he knows on to you.”

A gray tabby cat walked to Darkpaw. He smiled awkwardly. 

“Sootstripe **,** you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Dragtear and Littlestep, and you have shown yourself to be kind and resilient. You will be the mentor of Darkpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Darkpaw.”

Sootstripe leaned close to Darkpaw. The small black she-cat looked confused. 

“We’re supposed to touch noses now.” He whispered to her. She gently touched her nose to his. They smiled at each other. The clan chanted her name. 

“DARKPAW!”DARKPAW!”DARKPAW!”DARKPAW!”DARKPAW!”

Cardialstar jumped down from the branch and began talking to some older cats. While the clan quieted down and began to return to normal life, Darkpaw ran back to her parents. Skull and Turtlepelt hugged her. Sootstripe began talking to a few of the young warriors. After a few minutes he walked over to her. 

“Darkpaw, do you want to go for a quick run outside of camp? We can go on a tour of the territory tomorrow with Toy and Emberstrike.” he asked. 

“Yes!” She exclaimed. 

Sootstripe ran out of camp, Darkpaw followed him. She hadn’t left ShadowClan camp since she was first brought here a few moons ago. At night everything looked different, it was dark. The tall pines and their leaves were just black outlines against a dark sky. The snowy ground beneath her and Darkpaw herself blended into one shapeless mass of black. Darkpaw could barely see her own paws, she wondered how Sootstripe was running through the forest without even looking. She trailed behind him everywhere Sootstripe placed his paws on the cold forest floor, Darkpaw did heartbeats later. Running blindly through the forest felt great, almost freeing. She could begin to see the outline of something almost glowing in between the trees and darkness. Sootstripe began to run faster and Darkpaw struggled to keep up with him. She could hear what sounded like water in the distance. 

“We’re at the lake!” Sootstripe excitedly said. He suddenly stopped. Darkpaw slammed into him from behind. “OW!”

The two cats rolled past the lake shore and tumbled into the water. They untangled themselves and walked onto the shore. Ice marked the edge between the shallowest part of the lake and the deeper waters at it’s center. 

“Sorry I couldn’t see anything…” Darkpaw said. She was cold and shivering. 

“Its fine” He laughed. “You’ll get used to the dark. Soon you’ll be hunting at night.”

Darkpaw shook water out of her fur.  _ Maybe ShadowClan won’t be that bad after all.  _

Sootstripe cleaned his fur as they sat by the lake. The stars above them shone brightly on the lake ice. It was the color of the sky, the moon danced across it’s reflective surface. She could see things here. The faint outline of the mountains and the shore in the distance intrigued her. The air was cold but the water was colder. She could see for miles here. 

“It’s cold, we should go back to camp,” he said. The apprentice nodded. They began to walk to ShadowClan’s camp. Sootstripe rested his tail on Darkpaw’s shoulder to guide her home. 


End file.
